Victoria Mandanas of Potty Mouth Checks In From The Road
Words by Audra Tracy
Potty Mouth is back in a big way this year. While the release of their 2013 breakthrough album, Hell Bent, seems like a lifetime ago, the road to their latest record was definitely a rocky one. After leaving their label and moving to LA, they decided to ‘embrace the chaos’, write a killer collection of new tunes, and (aptly) name it SNAFU. Released in March, SNAFU still has the punchy charm of past material, and a polished sound that’s sure to please fans of Green Day, Weezer, and Blink-182.
The trio is bringing their trusty tour van across the U.S. this summer, making local stops at Trans Pecos in New York on July 6, and the Asbury Park Brewery in New Jersey this July 7. In between gigs, drummer Victoria Mandanas checked in for a quick chat about SNAFU, labels, and LA living…
Tell us about SNAFU- is there a theme or message that fans can find in the music?
Victoria Mandanas: It’s a coming-of-age album a la “Little Women” by Louisa May Alcott.
What is the ideal environment for listening to the album?
VM: The comfort room, the CR, the water closet, the potty, the loo… need I say more?
In previous interviews, Potty Mouth has asserted that ‘pop punk’ is not a fitting descriptor of the band. How would you label your sound instead?
VM: We are a punky little pop band!
Has your personal style changed at all since the band moved to LA? Does it feel more freeing to live in a big city?
VM: We’re the same people, same band. What has changed is the amount of resources and opportunities we have access to.
How is tour going so far? What’s it like inside your van? Can you paint us a picture?
VM: Yucky! Recently a bunch of bananas someone brought and left on the dashboard turned from unripe yellow/green to mushed up black in the span of just one day.
If you had an unlimited touring budget, how would your shows change?
VM: There would be tons of colorful props to kick around on stage.
Potty Mouth have some shows coming up in New York and New Jersey – what can the uninitiated expect?
VM: You can expect a great show =}
